Member-only story
To the Fathers Who Suddenly Lose Wrestling Matches to Their Sons
Every father hopes to see his son surpass him. But did it have to happen so soon?
My 12-year-old son keeps challenging me to hand-to-hand combat. First, we move the coffee table and place a few pillows so that no one loses an eye or needs stitches; then we wrestle in the living room.
It wasn’t that long ago that our wrestling would have been a balancing act between me showing him the few moves I know and letting him get the occasional win so that he doesn’t lose heart. But ever since I turned 50 and he played the junior league football Super Bowl — not to mention going through puberty — things have gotten difficult.
Here’s a pro tip: If your kid wants to play fight, always set a timer. Even when they’re very young, they have a lot more energy than you. The timer lets them know that playtime is over without too much whining. We’ve used one since my son was a kindergartner. I would playfully grab him by the neck and super-slam him onto the bed. He’d bounce three feet into…
